Device for unloading grain fr o m vehicles



- (No Model.)

J. H. BROWN. DEVICE FOR UNLOADING GRAIN PROM VEHICLES. No. 311,468. Patented Feb. 3, 1885.

lUnTTEn STaTEs PATENT UEETEE,

JOHN H. BROWN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DEVICE FOR UNLOADING G RAlN FROM VEE-HCLES.

EBPECIFECATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,4:68, dated February 3, 1885.

Application filed October 27, 1884.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Unloading Grain, &c., from Vehicles, of which the following is a specitication.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for unloading grain, gravel, coal, or other materials from vehiclesin which they are transported, and afterward discharged through a chute in the bottom thereof by shovels or other hand implements.

The object of this invention is to effect the discharge of grain, &c., byabodily movement of the same into the chute, which grain would otherwise have to be transferred thereto in small parcels, and thereby materially economize labor, expense, and more particularly time in unloading cars and other vehicles of transportation, and to attain this object by means which will not materially render the vehicle undesirable for the transportation of v other and dissimilar merchandise.

I attain these objects by devices illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which is shown a longitudinal section of the ordinary construction of a railroad boxcar, in which similar parts are designated by the same letters.

A indicates aboX-car of the usual construction, in which at each end and corresponding with the inside width of the car are false ends or sliding heads 13 O, which are of a depth approximating that of the grain or other materials with which the car is loaded, said car being provided in its bottom with a chute, D, the opening of which may be closed by a sliding gate, E, removable through the usually centrally-located side doors of the car when desirable to discharge the contents of the same through the chute. This gate also serves to preserve the contiguity of the car-floor when merchandise other than that adapted to pass through the chute is to be transported in the car.

The purpose of the sliding heads is to bodily move the grain or other material to the chute,

(No model) or at least so much of it as will not discharge itself through the chute when uncovered, and to this end these heads may be simultaneously or independently moved toward the chute and 'to the position indicated by dotted lines.

The sliding heads are preferably provided on their bottom edge with a casting, F, which extends up the inner face of the heads, where it is concaved for the purpose of affording an inclined surface, better promoting the discharge of the grain or other materials, while at the same time affording a durable wearingsurface.

Any convenient or desirable mechanism may be employed foroperating the sliding headsas, for example, the heads may be suspended from and guided on one or more rods, a, ex tending the length of the car, and a cable have one end secured to the sliding head G, and passed thence through the head B and over pulleys b b, and back through and near the bottom of said heads, and thence over pulleys c c on the rearof the head 0, to a Windlass, d, at the opposite end of the car, to which the other end of the cable is secured, so that by winding the cable on the Windlass both heads will be simultaneously moved toward the cen' ter of the car and carry with them into the chute all of the grain lying in front of them. There is, however,this objection, that one head meeting with less resistance than the other will move in advance of the other; but this may be avoided by substituting for the cable and windlass a right andleft hand screw-threadcd shaft connecting and bearing in the opposing heads, and manipulated from or intermediate its ends by any suitable mechanism. As a shaft of this character will steady the heads and have almost unlimited powerto overcome friction and advance the heads, the guide-rod a may be dispensed with and the sliding heads be wholly supported from the car-floor. In this connection it may be, also stated that a double pulley may be suspended by a chain from the top of the center of the car, and each pulley have a cable extending there from and secured to its respective sliding head. In any case the mechanism for operating the sliding heads should be made readily removable, so as not to present any obstruction when it is desirable to use the ear for merchandise other than that for which my invention is especially adapted, in which case said mechanism may be secured to the sides or top of the car, and the sliding heads be moved to the extremities thereof, out of the Way.

N 0 special claim is made to the mechanisms for Operating the sliding heads, and they are only shown and described for the purpose of illustrating a means for carrying out my invention, which is essentially the sliding heads and means for actuating them to bodily remove the material lying in front of them into the opening of the chute.

While I have described myinvention as applied to cars, it is obvious that it extends to other receptacles for transporting or storing similar materials-as, for example, warehouses, Wagons, &c. for in any of these structures the removal of the grain or other merchandise is materially facilitated.

Having described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I 1. A grain or other receptacle and a chute opening in the bottom thereof, in combination With'the sliding heads arranged and operating substantially-as described.

2. The combination, With the receptacle and the chute opening in the bottom thereof, of the sliding heads and mechanisms connecting and actuating said heads, substantially as described.

JOI-IN H. BROWN.

Witnesses:

JNo. G. ELLIOTT, W. WV. ELLIOTT. 

